Who wins The Ashes 2019?

England fancy their hopes of Ashes 2019 despite being battered by the hosts

England were always doomed to lose the 2017-18 Ashes. Despite pundits criticizing Australia for being a one-man team, the hosts were favourites to regain the urn. The series was wrapped early as the Aussies raced ahead to win the first three tests. However, the spirit shown by England in the final two tests leaves plenty of positives for Joe Root & co to regain the trophy 18 months from now in their own backyard.

The English side’s middle to lower order batting was questioned before the start of the series. However, some rigid performance by the likes of Stuart Broad and Tom Curran proves that the English base is not build from a single brick. The last time England toured Australia, they were handed the humiliation of a 5-0 whitewash. Of course, the squad has changed a lot over the years and neither can you compare your performance with a team that was drubbed brutally. However, Root’s men have showcased their grit and determination throughout the 2017-18 series. The Aussies may have beaten the English, but the visitors certainly don’t lack the bite.

Another positive for the English is their bowling attack on home conditions. A look back at the 2015 series prove that England surely possess the arsenal to take 20 wickets in a match. Agreed, the likes of James Anderson are not getting any younger. But hey, he just produced the form of his life. The same cannot be said of Stuart Broad, who increasingly looks more comfortable with the bat rather than ball. It remains to be seen if and how the ECB will utilize him in the coming year.

Further, Alaister Cook and Joe Root continue to bring out their best with their bats. You wouldn’t bet on any of them losing their form over the course of next 18 months, considering the way they have played.

Having said that, the Aussies are justly riding high on confidence with their series win over bitter rivals. Captain Steve Smith recently commented, “The 2019 series in England is a long way away but that's a bucket list item for me: winning an Ashes series as captain in England. This team has been magnificent this series. The more we play together, the more we're going to get better as a group.”

The 28-year old does have a point. Australia are getting better day by day. Michael Vaughan, former English skipper seconded this fact, “England are miles away from winning in Australia, but Australia are a lot closer to winning in England.”

Australia has variety, which England lacks at the moment. Their attack is a fine blend of spin and pace while the bowlers are capable of adapting to new conditions quickly. The English meanwhile are too comfortable in their own den.

Therefore, the points highlighted above don’t mean that England will avenge their series loss with a similar thrashing of Australia. However, it is safe to say that there are plenty of positives to take for the English team despite their loss. If they work upon their weaknesses correctly, who knows they may even go on to achieve that!